10 Greatest Hair Metal Albums Of All Time
2. Van Halen - Van Halen
At the end of the '70s, hair metal wasn't really a thought in the world of mainstream rock. While you had the heavy metal bands like Sabbath wreaking havoc and the glam-rock stylings of David Bowie and T. Rex, you never really saw the two mixing all that often. Just when the heavier side of rock started to feel a bit too dour, Van Halen's debut turned up the energy and made rock sound a whole lot more fun.
Coming from the streets of LA, this is one of the freshest debut records ever made, with David Lee Roth already settled into the role of one of the greatest frontmen of all time. Even though Roth mugs for the listener's attention at every turn, you can't really compete when you have someone like Eddie Van Halen right by your side. As guitar heroes started to fade from view, Eddie's tapping style and brilliant lead work flipped the game for how the guitar was perceived in the mainstream.
Whether it's jamming along to their cover of You Really Got Me or basking in the sweaty club energy of Ain't Talkin Bout Love, every single track on here is a crash course in every type of hair metal song. There might not be too many power ballads in sight, but you don't need to slow things down when your album has this much life.